A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may run a variety of services and applications over cellular networks that are defined in The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). An example of a service defined by 3GPP is voice. Some WTRUs, for example smart phones, are operated by humans and the WTRUs then execute 3GPP procedures. Examples of 3GPP procedures may include requesting an Internet protocol (IP) address or resources with a specific quality of service (QoS). However, other WTRUs may not necessarily interact with humans but may run applications that vary from smart meters to sensors, among others, and may be referred to as machine type devices which may communication via machine type communication (MTC).
Cellular operators are expected to operate their networks with an ever-increasing number of machine type devices, which may cause service issues as a result, such as increased load on the cellular system. Accordingly, cellular operators may prefer to deploy dedicated nodes that may only serve devices that match one or more specific characteristics, such as devices that are known to be machine type, that have a very predictable communication pattern, or whose IP connection is required to meet a specific communication model or treatment. By employing dedicated nodes, the cellular operator may ensure that WTRUs that are used by humans always get the expected QoS.
Cellular operators are expected to operate their networks with an ever-increasing number of M2M devices, which may cause service issues, such as increased load on the cellular system, as a result. Accordingly, cellular operators may prefer to deploy dedicated nodes that may only serve devices that have a specific characteristic. Examples of devices having a specific characteristic include devices that are known to be machine type, that have a very predictable communication pattern, or whose IP connection is required to meet a specific communication model or treatment. By employing dedicated nodes, the cellular operator may ensure that WTRUs that are used by humans, such as smart phones, always get the expected QoS.